Rocket generator power supply



July 24, 1956 A. s. CLARKE 2,755,737

ROCKET GENERATOR POWER SUPPLY Filed Nov. 25. 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 1gwucmtom g 7 Ellen 5. Clarke.

y 1956 A. s. CLARKE 2,755,737

ROCKET GENERATOR POWER SUPPLY Filed Ndv. 25. 194'? a Sheets-Sheet 2gwuc/ntom Allen 5- Clarke y 1956 A. s. CLARKE 2,755,737

ROCKET GENERATOR POWER SUPPLY Filed Nov. 25, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Hllan5 Clarke jj cm, w am, 2. XM am,

RoCKET GENERATOR POWER SUPPLY Allen S. Clarke, Washington, D. (3.,assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretaryof War Application November 25, 1947, Serial No. 788,074

7 Claims. (Cl. 10270.2)

(Granted under Title 35, U. S. Code (1952), sec. 266) nited StatesPatent 6 The invention described herein may be manufactured and used byor for the Government for governmental purpose without the payment ofany royalty thereon.

My invention relates to fuzes requiring electrical power, and wasconceived in the perfection of means to enable transition from power towind driven generator power supply for fuzes for projectiles used inanti-aircraft fire. It is also an aim to enable the production of acomplete unit which is capable of installation within the limited spaceavailable in standard projectiles and bombs, which may be readilyproduced by punch press and screw machine for the major number of partsin the device (representing great economy in cost of production as wellas enabling quantity production with a minimum capital investment, andfacilitating assembly).

It is a particular aim of the invention to present a novel constructionby which there may be embodied a generator, a safety means forpreventing generation of electrical potential under casual conditions,and means to arm the fuze in the completion of an explosive train andelectrical circuits only after establishment of effective flightconditions over a desired period.

A further aim is to devise a novel, simple and effective means to effectthe self destruction of the fuze and attached explosive after apredetermined maximum flight period.

Additional objects, advantages and features of invention reside in theconstruction, arrangement and combination of parts involved in theembodiment of the inven tion, and otherwise, as will be understood fromthe following description and accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a fragmentary longitudinal section of a projectile in whichmy invention is embodied;

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the set-back in operation;

Figure 3 is a cross section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1; Figure 5 is afragmentary section on the line 5-5 of Fig. l;

Figure 6 is a section on the line 66 of Fig. 2;

Figure 7 is a section on the line 77 of Fig. 1;

Figure 8 is a top view of the arming rotor in place.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is illustrated aprojectile having a conventional shell body 19 formed with a chamber 11loaded with a bursting charge 12.

The upper end of the shell is truncated in a plane normal to the axis ofthe shell and interiorly threaded in two diameters, as at 13 and 14. Thesmaller thread receives a retainer ring 15 attached to a case 16 in theform of an open-end cylindrical can which is slidingly set in the shell10, although in the event that the fuze is made smaller in diameter, thecase may be spaced from the wall of the shell and part of the charge 12will surround the case 16.

Within the case 16 there is set a unit structure comprising alloperative parts of the fuze except the electronic 2,755,737 PatentedJuly 24, 1956 system or electrical time control or other special controlof the detonation action of the fuze. This unit comprises a framingincluding a top circular plate 17, a middle one 18 and a lower compositeone 19, which has two upper dielectric plates 2020 thereon and aconcentric smaller lower dielectric plate 21. This composite plate isspaced some distance from the rear extremity of the fuze unit. Theseseveral plates are connected by a number of rigid posts 22.

As a formal showing of the generator, on. stud posts 23 a set ofarmature cores 24 are mounted on the plate 18 around a magneto rotor 25which is fixed on a shaft 26 mounted revolubly in the. top and middleplates 17, 18 on the longitudinal axis of the projectile, and on eachcore 24 an armature coil 27 is engaged, so that rotation of the rotorwill develop alternating flux in the cores and corresponding A. C.potentials in the coils. The shaft 26 is driven conventionally from awind vane 28 revolubly mounted on the nose of the projectile, althoughother forms of vanes or air turbines may be employed as found desirable.The rotor magnet arrangement and the forms of the armature elements mayconform to approved practices, and may be assumed to be such that thealternations are identical in all coils and that they are connected inseries to a rectifier 29 mounted on the dielectric cover of the lowerplate 19, from which rectified current is passed by leads 31 to acapacitor 30, and to an electronic or other electrical detonationcontrol unit 32, which is shown as a fuze cap, having a threaded tenonscrewed into the larger threads 14 ofthe mouth of the shell. The detailsof the unit 32 are not illustratedsince they comprise no novel part ofthe invention herein claimed. Two insulated stud electrode terminals 33are shown mounted on the plate 17, with which jumper connections ofconventional form may be made for the unit 32, and a two-prong plug 34for the detonating leads of the unit 32 is also shown mounted on theplate 17, from which a cable 35 is extended to the detonator in thefuze, as will be further described.

The shaft 26 has on its lower end below the middle plate 18 a worm 36,which, through a reduction gearing including a low speed counter shaft37, drives large terminal gear 38 fixed on a large diameter driven shaft39, coaxial with the shaft 26, andoperating an arming rotor 40releasably keyed thereto normally and located in a chamber 41 formedbelow the lower plate 19. All of the gearing is located between themiddle and lower plates 18 and 19, the counter shaft 37 being parallelto the axis of the shafts 26 and 39 and being mounted in bearings on theplates last mentioned. The shaft 39 extends a distance above the lowerplate 19 close to the lower end of the shaft 26, and the gear 38 is onthe upper end, for a purpose to be explained. I

The chamber 41 is formed within the capacitor, which is constructed as ahollow cylinder fitted next to the case 16 and carried on a flanged tube42 having its upper end pressed against the plate 19 by an internallythreaded ring 43 set against or secured to the lower end of the tube anditself supported by the crimped-in lower edge 16 of the case 16, towhich it may be welded. The opening through the ring 43 is not less indiameter than the interior of the tube 42. Set within the upper part ofthe tube 42 there is a thick tubular wall 44, forming the immediate wallof the chamber 41, and it may be pinned to the plate 19 as at 45. Thebottom of the chamber is formed by a thick interrupter plate 46 fittedwithin the tube 42 and also pinned as at 47 to the tube wall 44, orotherwise keyed to the wall 44. This plate has a flash port or trainport 48 therethrough, as a link in the explosive train to a boostercharge 50 carried in a cup 51 fitted entirely within the tube 42 andthreaded at its base in the ring 43 so as to press the plate 46 and wall40 upward, clamping them ICE 3 and the whole remaining assembly againstthe ring 15 forming the virtual top or shoulder of the case 16. Thecapacitor is thus free of mechanical stresses which might affect itsoperativeness.

Within the ohariib'er' 41 and fitted revolubly around the bait 39 is thearming rotor'dfi, whichis a cylindricalbloc k of'materialclg'ise to butclearing" the wall 44. and of slightly'less; altitude, than the "chamber41. It is normally keyed tof'the'shaft'39fby a"plunger 53radiallyslidable in the rotor andprojecting inwardly into a longitudinal key'slot 54% in the side qr the shaft 39 and opening on the lower end ofthe latter. There is'no slidingrnovement of the plunger longitudinallyof the shaft 39. in operation of de es, bufit hefslot permits convenientassembly. 9i t .'P,% b1 the r ng and deepen: enty' ut o. duct n o f thelatter from below. after the rotor 40 31 plii e ave en a semble n th'ualfpar 4. he lilfiil? hi 51 b tiI- 55 fi j fi w y Q S'l ng h in n enlargedradial: boreppe ingon the. periphery of the t rft e t n i birth Pilin wfi iat rt s and. eari aga n th ne uiiae f thfc "wall! 44. againstpressed a hellieal spring 5.6.: eonfin etw en the olla a d h n er and the large bore. At one point in theiwallfigt as ocl etffl is formed-JiFQ-J h Ph. he ne d 0f e one: ma a e nd P s r Q the a ina ho; he sr'fhas n wi i o an armed position shown in Fig.2, and, the thicloiessofvthe w'allj4'4. depth oft'he. socket aresufficient to permit; movement'ofthe'plunger 'in toIthe sockiet far enough to: clearthe oppositeinnene'ndof. t he'v plunger from the slot 541 In the present instance"the socket57- is shown. as located diametrically opposite the positionof the plunger as shown infEigure. L'whichmay be assumed to be thenormal or initial position of. theparts prior to firing, but. thisangular initial relation may be varied according to the time duringwhich it is desired that the rule shau'r- Ina in' unarmed; aften firing(and thepos itions of. Figure 1, under an extreme, timodelay rnightrcpresen ta eondition after the mechanism has been; operation for atime). However, the socket s7 is at the sidc of the chamberdiametricallylopposite.theport"48, 'In the was? 40 diametricallyopposite the plunger there isf orm ed a detenator hole,5extendiugentirely through the rotor, in hir isrs t sta i itinf Q i h sia y he squib as as ma e a n. hatwh P un e s' the sock et 5 7, the defator, is alignedwith the. 18. whieh isin cornniuniea qn with the booster'50. This constitu te s the armed pos itionfo f lhe rotor. i

1. 9 9 9? he ti li e r. s h ls 1 d y awe wntaqts 41. re ix d. t whisk ares -fi w r m he q ib a e. wowed s. h wn. n, Fi h u ato Plats he e. a emountad w b hs 11 @F d s Q 1 an of h to .0 n were heqq s s. flit-when heo or. as. been rnq qd tqiha rme Pos ion- Co v nti na e s. a e. e ten edr m these brushes to respective terminalpostsfilrmountedon e. pp n u ans la e 0. t0. W i de ona q s t r mth u it- 2 m y e nn c ed by he w csthe cable 35, In practice the p.os ts,62;would;be extended w th. ea nhrough Plate .9.. an i cd: o h dthc. brushes 61, this detail beingomitted for, convenience in illustration.

By the construction. described, it may be vseenthat after apredetermined time. from. the moment of. firing the. detonating circuit.from the controlhcad .32 .willbe closed, at the rotor 40, and thereafterwhen the ur1it.32 functions to transmit a detonating potentialto thesquib, the squib or primer will be set off, and through the port 48function the booster 50, which will'in'turn detonate the main burstingcharge 12.

In order to cause theself destruction of the projectile after a timewhichis greater than that required for the flight of the projectile toatarget Within'a range which has'been predetermined as practicable fornormal attack or defense against aerial targetQmeanS has'been providedfor closing a circuit between the capacitor and the squib 59independently of the unit 32, one form of which will now be'described. Apermanent connection 64 between one electrode of the capacitor and onebrush 61 is made, and an open circuit from the other electrode of thecapacitor and the other brush, arranged to be closed at 66 by a slowmovement mernber operated by the gear train. O ther circuit forms may beemployed, and it may be preferable to use an insulated lead from bothsides of the condenser, the equivalence and execution of which will beobvious to those. concerned in the art. For illustration only oneterminal of the capacitor is indicated as grounded at 63 while the otheris eqnnected by an insulated lead 64 to one brush 61. From the otherbrush an insulated lead is extended to a stationary insulated contact 66on the dielectric plate 20 near the counter shaft. 37 and exposed upwardso. as to be engaged by a travelling nut 67 engaged on the lower endportion of the shaft 37 threaded for the purpose. A vertical bar 68 f sd bes de th ut atalla 9 he Sh ft 59 as to wipe i st, tbs 1, 1- m Prawnwta i n f. e t e nd the contact 66 is, located close to. the bottom ofthis bar, in ps t 9 e, en a e b the nut t. the lower limit of nut.travel. The threads on the shaft 37 are in such direct o t atin st t p Qhe e n r h s t. 26, the. tw l or d w iwardrand. i e a e the n a aconsiderable time after the rotor 40, has been moved to its armedposition of lfig. 2;. If desired the. apparatus may be so. designed thatthe gear 38 may be located at a greater. height in the space availablebetween the plates 1 3 and 12, in which event; a greater length ofthreaded. shaft will be available for movement of the nut.

t i b e nr m h mm dia e y P e e n iption that after a predeterminedexcessive flight of a projectile equipped with my invention the nut 67willhave travelled into contact with the contact 66, and the shaft 26being journa lled in the plates 18 and 19, the circuit h ou h. roundompl ed.- n h pacitor. P rm to d scharge hrou h e. uib q i sipadct naivn of h b rsting.- ha e in he us a sequ nc It is one of the greatsafety features of such fuzes that her s. no pos ib ty. ectr ca e o aton. o the burst g ch rge unt l a ter. t e-p qie t ls a be n. in flighta. certain time, because not until it isin flight is the electricalpotential generated, and the arming device shown assures the.,movemcntof the projectile to a safe distance from. thepoint. ofsdischarge of theprojectile before there is any possibility. of; the. detonating circuitbeing closed to the. squib, by. the unit 32.

However, the generatordoes. tend; to. operate during suchsafety period,and supplies apotential whichis useful in heating filaments in case.such are involved in the unit 32;

If the projectile should be dropped so as to strike materialswhich wouldcauserotation of the generator rotor and accidental closing of the,detonationcircuits a serious explosion. might occur, and ifgthe.projectile were dropped accidentally from a plane an explosion in anundesired area wouldprobably occur, bythefunctioning of-the vane if noprovisionwere made to forestallsuch occurrences.

In. order. .topreventsuch casualyoperation of the'generator. andto.prevent the functioning thereof and the controlldevicesnnless theprojectile. is actually. fired from a gun. or other launching device, agenerator latch 70 is provided preventing rotation of rotor 25, butwhich is responsive, to.conditions incident to.firing to permitcontinued operation of the, rotor after a predetermined time.

Thogenerator lock device comprises an inverted .dished circular plate.71. having a peripheral flange thereon notched.at.72-\ at one pointat.least (two, notches being shown); and below this a latch .or-lock,lever.73 is pivoted on the plate .18: outwardlyof the. gencratorso as toswing upwardlybenea th the flange. It has atongue 74 arranged to engagein the notch 72, being urged to this elevated position. bywacompression. spring; 78f. acting ort-a. heel portion of theleveruextending downwardfromthe-lever pivot, In this instance the leverswings in a plane approximately tangent to the periphery of thenotched'plate 71 which is of a diameter somewhat less than that of therotor 25. Below the lever a suflicient distance to permit it to dropfrom engagement with the notch 72, there is a shaft 75 revoluble inbrackets extended from the plate 18, its axis being normal to the planeof operation of the lever. The lever has a longitudinal flange 76dependent at one side, and on the inner side of this flange there issecured a leaf spring 77 having an extreme part normally spaced from theflange and carrying a' pin 78 thereon extended at right angles to andthrough the flange and beyond.

On the shaft 75 close to the lever there is slidable and freelyrevoluble an escapement star wheel 79 against the side of which the endof the pin 78 bears, the wheel being urged along the shaft and againstthe pin by a compression helical spring 80 engaged loosely around theshaft seated against one of the shaft-supporting brackets. On a rockshaft 81 parallel to the shaft 75 a rocker 82 is fixed to oscillate in aplane close beside the wheel 79, and having pallet pins 83 extendedtherefrom so as to wipe upon the periphery of the star wheel, oneengaging at the apex of a tooth while the other pin engages in the spacebetween two teeth, whereby rotation of the wheel rocks the rocker, andthe wheel is delayed in its movement. At a point which is initially at adistant part of the wheel from the lever 73 a transverse opening 85 isformed through the wheel of a size and location suitable to receive thepin 78 therethrough if the lever is at the rearward or lower part of itsmovement away from the notch 72. The

shaft 75 may serve as a stop for the lever 73 at this position. With thestar wheel set at a predetermined initial position of the aperture withrelation to the lever, a weight 86 fastened to the side of the wheelopposite the lever is at a position in the direction of the nose of theprojectile, but off center with relation to force acting thereonrearwardly parallel to the axis of the device. The distance of theaperture 85 from the engaging axis of the pin 78 should be less than 178degrees, so that under firing, set-back force acting on the weight willrotate the wheel, rocking the rocker, and moving the aperture toalinement with the position which the pin 78 will then have due tosimilar forces acting on the lever. When this condition is established,the spring 80, as well as, in some cases, inertia of the wheel due torotation of the projectile by the rifling of a gun, will move the wheelslidingly along the shaft 75 so that the pin 78 is fully received in theaperture 85, permanently holding the lever 73 retracted from engagementwith the notch 72 on the generator rotor, and permitting the latter tooperate as long as the projectile continues in flight.

If the projectile should be accidentally dropped so as to strike upon afloor, the lever 73 might become disengaged, and possibly a momentarypartial turn of the vane 28 occur, but the lever would be quicklyreturned to its engagement with the flange on the generator rotor, andwould engage the notch or one of the notches therein after only slightmovement of the rotor 25.

If the projectile were accidentally dropped in space over the earththere would be no sufiicient force of setback manifest to operate thelever 73 or the weight 8 6, so that no releasing of the rotor wouldoccur and no current would begenerated to cause the self-destructionaction or permit functioning of the unit 32.

While I have disclosed the details of my invention in the bestembodiment in which I have produced it, nevertheless this is purelyexemplary, and it will be understood that modifications of constructionarrangement and combination of parts, substitution of materials andequivalents mechanical or otherwise, may be made without departing fromthe spirit of the invention as set forth in the a pended claims.

It may be noted that the shaft 26 is extended at its lower part to, ornearly to, the upper end of the shaft 39, so that shaft 26 will serve asa stop for the shaft 39 to prevent forward slippage of the latter,without requiring other special structural forms for the purpose.

I claim: 7

1. In a fuze of the character described, a generator rotor having anotched element, a lever pivoted in the fuze extending transversely ofthe flight axis positioned and spring urged to engage said notch, andhaving its principal mass located to move the lever from said engagementunder setback force, an escapement device thereadjacent including anescapement wheel in a plane coincident with the direction of the flightaxis of the device weighted at a forward part so as to be rotated byset-back under firing, and means operatively connected with the wheelnormally tending to move to lock said lever at a rearward position ofthe wheel and lever and responsive to such positioning of the wheel andlever to move to locking relation to said lever.

2. In a device of the character described, a generator having a rotorrotative on a fore-and-aft axis of the device, a latch movable in afore-and-aft path having a forward position in locking engagement withthe rotor, and movable rearwardly to clear the same, a weighted rotarylocking member beside the latch also movable in a foreand-aft pathhaving a part movable therewith at an angle to the movement of thelatch, a spring urged locking pin normally in slidable engagement withsaid rotary locking member carried by said latch and laterally movableto locking engagement with said weighted rotary locking member, the saidweighted rotary locking member having an aperture to receive said pinwhen said latch is at full released position and said weighted rotarymember is at its rear limit, and a motion retarding means operativelyconnected with the locking member.

3. The structure of claim 2 in which the weighted locking memberincludes a shaft in a plane normal to the axis of the rotor, a starwheel slidable longitudinally of the shaft, a spring confined betweenthe shaft and wheel to urge the latter toward one limit of its slidingmovement, said latch being in the path of movement of the wheel by thespring.

4. In a fuze of the character described, a framing having aWind-operated generator including a rotor on a fore-andaft axis of thefuze, a counter shaft and a driven shaft, a reduction gearing connectedbetween the rotor and said shafts, an arming rotor carried by the drivenshaft and an interrupter therebeside having a blast-communicating portat one point, said arming rotor having a detonator normally distant fromsaid port but alined therewith at an armed position of the arming rotor,electrical means for firing said detonator including an electricalsource, a circuit including the same and two contacts on the rotor andrespective wiper contacts on the framing and a circuit closer in saidelectrical means including a threaded part on said counter shaft, atravelling nut engaged on said threaded part, means to hold the nutagainst rotation and a contact member on the frame in the path of thenut near one limit of its travel operative to close said circuit to thedetonator.

5. The structure of claim 4 in which said circuit includes a tubularcapacitor at the rear of the fuze concentric with said axis, saidframing including a transverse plate for wardly of said capacitor havingsaid driven shaft revoluble therein, a hollow cylindrical wall deviceset within the capacitor behind the plate to form a chamber, said armingrotor revoluble therein, said driven shaft releasably keyed to thearming rotor at initial position, means responsive to rotation of thearming rotor to a predetermined armed position to unlock the drivenshaft and arming rotor, an interrupter plate rearwardly of said wall infixed relation to the latter, and a booster charge behind theinterrupter with the capacitor.

6. The structure of claim 5 in which the capacitor includes a mountingtube set against said plate, and an internally threaded ring against thetube, a case for the fuze connected with the ring and framing, saidbooster including a cup inserted through said ring and having threaded nag ent; therewi h n c mpr ss n n a mentwith the n pter. and: y indri alWall-1 7. The structure of claim 6 in which said driven shaft has a slottherein Within the length of the arming lfQtQI", a radially reciprocableplunger in thearming; rotor having; 0m": and. n the slot normally and;the otherslidingly abut ting said cylindrical Wall device, spring meansurging the plunger radially outwardly to clear; the slut, saisicylindrical; Wall device having a recess therein at a positiun, alined}with the plunger when the arming rotqr. is; in armed; posi- Qn, o r c ihe o e and of the pl nger. in. cleanin relation to said: slut and inlooking relation betwe m n o r nd aid cy indri al wall.

R fsnemes Qimd in the file ofi this patent UNITED STATES" PATENTS omenREFERENCES} Electronics, December 1945, pp. 98403, published by McGrawHill Bublishing Cm, 11m, 99;V-l:29 N. Br0adway, Albany 1, N.

